Mayor slammed over parliamentary committee comments

Helao Nafidi Town mayor Darius Shaalukeni has sparked a political debate after saying parliamentary committees were established under a Swapo-led government and should not be used to score personal political points.

Shaalukeni made the remarks in a Facebook post following last week’s visit by the parliamentary committee on public accounts to Helao Nafidi, where the council’s financial management and accountability were scrutinised.

“As deployees of the ruling party Swapo, we are not starting afresh with accountability and governance within local authorities and any other entities. We are rather strengthening those and our people must know that parliament committees are established by the Swapo government and they must not be abused for personal political scores,” he wrote.

The remarks drew criticism from opposition figures, who accused the Swapo councillor of associating Parliament's oversight structures with the ruling party.

Shaalukeni, however, told Namibian Sun yesterday that he did not intend to say parliamentary committees belonged to Swapo but was referring to the political administration under which the structures were established.

He said his comments should be understood in the context of the continuity of governance and accountability institutions rather than party ownership.

“I did not say the committee is for Swapo. I said it came under the Swapo government. If Swapo fears transparency, it would not allow the establishment of it,” he said.

“This is a Swapo-led government. When even those who wanted to oppose those views were not there at the time the committees were formed, some of them were Swapo members by then, and they have changed sides. Swapo has been the only government of the day until now,” he added.

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Shaalukeni also defended Helao Nafidi Town Council against allegations that it could not account for public funds, saying the municipality had not received an allocation from the urban and rural development ministry from the previous financial year into the current one.

“How do you move services to the people with zero allocation? How do you deliver services needed when you are given N$2 million to cater for five standing settlements? Everybody needs potable water, people need street lights. That is the dilemma I am faced with,” he said.

He added that the council’s audit report did not point to missing money.

“You cannot misappropriate what you don’t have,” he said.

Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda criticised Shaalukeni’s interpretation, saying parliamentary committees derive their authority from the Constitution and are not instruments of the ruling party.

“I don’t need to have shebeen conversations with semi-literate people. The auditor-general’s reports are already there and very clear. That is why our country is in a mess. They have not read the Constitution and understand how parliament works,” Amupanda said.

Independent Patriots for Change representative Imms Nashinge also rejected Shaalukeni’s position.

“If we are to recommend that something is illegal and recommend for someone to be arrested, it will be done regardless of which party you are from. It is actually criminal not to account for public funds,” Nashinge said.

He called on Swapo to recall Shaalukeni, saying the mayor’s comments reflected poorly on his understanding of public accountability.

“For a member to express himself like that is not even laughable; it’s a sad state of affairs. He is young and ought to know better,” Nashinge said.